We are proud to say it seems that it's becoming a tradition for the Perm Museum & Archives to get the permission of the reknowed British artist Les Edwards for the world premiere of new Pern cover art.
This time we proudly present Les Edward's art for the cover of the new Pern book Dragongirl, by Todd McCaffrey (publication date rescheduled to July 27, 2010). Like the previous Pern novel the gorgeous artwork will grace both the US and UK covers of the book.If you want to see more artwork by Les Edwards we heartily recommend a visit to his website full of wonders. To admire the full work of art please click on the thumbnail or use this link.

__________________Hans, also known as Elrhan, Master Archivist

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Les Edwards is my favourite Pern artist, and I think this is another great picture from him.

After doing all that Weyr research, I can't help but wonder which Weyr is being depicted. The mountain is too icy for Igen or Ista, it doesn't have spindles, so it's not High Reaches, which was my original idea. Then I thought Telgar (Which would be interesting, because it could mean that the book would depict Telgar either under D'gan, or being re-populated), but it could be Fort, as the end is shaped like the Tooth crag (Except the mountain behind it is missing). Could it be Benden?

Anyway, back on topic; It's a great picture, and a vast improvement over the Dragonheart cover, which was too...cartoony for my liking.

I thought it might be High Reaches too until Almaron commented on the spindles so trying to remember what other mountain ranges were there on Pern. I know there's High Reaches and the one near Landing but that looks too cold to be in Southern and unless they've got weyrs at the poles ..... I don't think it's that either ..

I had another look at the temperature maps in the Atlas, and that narrows it down to either Telgar or Benden (The High Reaches cold weather only affects west of the mountains, presumably ruling out Fort, unless the mountains are still high enough for snow.).

I have a feeling it's Benden, and the story will follow Lorana, mainly because of an old synopsis for Dragonheart on Amazon. The first half of the synopsis (regarding Fiona and Talenth) is the story of DH, but the second half wasn't, and I wondered after reading it if that would be the next story. Anyway, here's the synopsis, courtesy of Amazon.

POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING (Well, it is conjectural)

Quote:

Fiona didn't mean to Impress the dragon at the Hatching. She didn't want to leave her father, Lord Holder Bemin all alone - she was the only one of his children to survive the plague. But she knew her duty and Talenth was the most wonderful being a person could ever have love her. Then a dreadful illness started killing the dragons just as they were about to fight Thread. To have some dragons in reserve some of the younger ones, including Fiona and Talenth, jumped back in time, they returned three days later but three years older and stronger.Meanwhile Lorana, at the cost of her queen dragon, found a cure and the dragons were saved. Saved, only to fight outnumbered against Thread. Where the Weyrs could usually expect to have three thousand dragons all together, less than a thousand dragons survived to fight Thread. The Weyrleaders tried everything they could - timing it, enlisting the watch-whers, training more groundcrew but it was a losing battle. Lorana realized they were in desperate trouble, she knew that time was needed - and if it can't be had in the past, then perhaps in the future? But Lorana is pregnant, if she jumps into the future she may find help but she will almost certainly kill her child. Can she do that? And can anyone jump into the future? Or will she disappear forever, taking Minith with her? And who would miss her if she did? Ambivalently, Lorana takes her leap forward into time.

EDIT: Nope! I'm wrong. Amazon has a page for Dragongirl, and it says the following:

DEFINITE SPOILER WARNING

Quote:

Shortly after Fiona's return to Fort Weyr, three Turns older and wiser, her queen, Talenth, is infected with the dreaded sickness that has consumed so many of Pern's precious fire-breathing dragons. Talenth's recovery and the recovery of all the other dragons of Pern is delivered by the unflagging efforts of Lorana and Kindan at Benden Weyr - but their one vital clue is only bought with the loss of all the dragons of Telgar Weyr. Fiona is sent to relieve the distressed weyrfolk of the now-dragonless Weyr. When her queen, Talenth, rises to mate, Fiona finds herself not only Telgar's senior Weyrwoman but in the center of the dilemma that confronts all Pern - how can the one thousand fighting dragons do the job of three thousand? And, if they can't, how long will it be before all of Pern is consumed by Thread?

So it is Telgar. Perfect! It'll help with my Weyr map work! As for the other synopsis, maybe the other part will be used for one of the future books, such as Dragonrider, or (more likely), Dragon's Time, the two planned sequels mentioned on Anne's site.

From the Weyr and from the Bowl
Bronze and Brown and Blue and Green,
Rise the dragonmen of Pern,
Aloft, on wing, seen, then unseen.
Dragonman avoid excess
Greed will bring the Weyr distress;
To the ancient Laws adhere,
Prospers thus the Dragon-weyr.

From the Weyr and from the Bowl
Bronze and Brown and Blue and Green,
Rise the dragonmen of Pern,
Aloft, on wing, seen, then unseen.
Dragonman avoid excess
Greed will bring the Weyr distress;
To the ancient Laws adhere,
Prospers thus the Dragon-weyr.

I guess they changed the colour on the cover to make it Talenth. When I first looked at it, I was reminded of J'trel and Talith on the cover of Dragonsblood. Actually, I think I like this version better, the Gold works well against the bluey white of the mountains.

Now that I think about it, has there ever been a Green dragon depicted on a cover? Or Brown, for that matter? We've had Golds and Bronzes by the thousands, and the odd Blue on the cover, but never Green or Brown (unless you count Kisk on the cover of Dragon's Kin).

US Chronicles of Pern has a brown on the cover, and the Crossroads Adventure Dragonfire has green Path on the cover, but browns and greens definitely don't get the cover love the rest of the colors get!

ETA: I searched and found that the UK publisher, Bantam, did not feel the need to alter the dragon color as Del Rey did.

Re. green dragons - I think Debera and Morath are on the back of the Dragonseye cover.

Yes, they are together and Debera is holding the glowbaket, while Ian and them looking at the Star Stones, You know it kinda remind of after the moment, for Ian is drawing the actions, another holding the glowbasket in line with the newly set stones Finger Rock and Eyerock. Also show other but hard to tell, Ginny.

I guess they changed the colour on the cover to make it Talenth. When I first looked at it, I was reminded of J'trel and Talith on the cover of Dragonsblood. Actually, I think I like this version better, the Gold works well against the bluey white of the mountains.

Now that I think about it, has there ever been a Green dragon depicted on a cover? Or Brown, for that matter? We've had Golds and Bronzes by the thousands, and the odd Blue on the cover, but never Green or Brown (unless you count Kisk on the cover of Dragon's Kin).

Dragons Fire is a green, US Verson. Flaming and USA Dragon Harper has brown or bronze hard to say, and a blue.

Now that I think about it, has there ever been a Green dragon depicted on a cover? Or Brown, for that matter? We've had Golds and Bronzes by the thousands, and the odd Blue on the cover, but never Green or Brown (unless you count Kisk on the cover of Dragon's Kin).

From the Weyr and from the Bowl
Bronze and Brown and Blue and Green,
Rise the dragonmen of Pern,
Aloft, on wing, seen, then unseen.
Dragonman avoid excess
Greed will bring the Weyr distress;
To the ancient Laws adhere,
Prospers thus the Dragon-weyr.